Apparatus for discharging the contents of hoppers and the like



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tented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING THE CON- TENTS OF HOPPERS AND THE LIKE.

Application February i4, 1941i, Serial No. 318,84i

l. Claim..

'this invention relates, as indicated, to an apparatus ior discharging the contents of hoppers and the like, but has reference more particularly to an apparatus for discharging the contents oi railroad hopper cars oi the type generally used ior transporting dry bulk commodities, such, for enaniple. as cement and grain.

The gravity discharge oi bulk commodities from railroad hopper cars is in most cases a relatively simple matter, but certain types ci' bulli commodities have a tendency to adhere to the sides of the hoppers, being dislodged therefrom only aiter considerablediiculty, involving at times the tapping ci the sides oi the hopper with a hammer or other tool or actual entry into the hopper for the purpose oi removing materials oi an espe eially adherent nature. These methods may entail injury or damage to the cars or hoppers as well as entra labor and are therefore objectionable.

.it primary object ci the present invention, accordingly, is to provide an apparatus for disn charging the contents oi such hoppers in such a manner as to clear the hoppers of any adhering materials, and without injury to the hoppers or the necessity oi entering the hopper for such. purpose.

.another object ci the invention is to provide apparatus oi' the character described which can be readily attached to and removed from the hoppers without requirement of special tools or de4 vices ior this purpose.

.u further object of the invention is to provide a hracliet oi special construction which may be permanently or removably secured to the hoppers and through the use oi which the attachnient and removal oi the apparatus is greatly iacilitated.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means an one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used. y

in said annexed drawing:

il'ig. l is a side elevation of a railroad hoppe car, showing the apparatus comprising the present invention as applied to the hoppers of such car;

if'ig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the (Cl. 259-72l apparatus, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a fragmentary elevational View of the 5 apparatus; as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow B in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. il;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showl0 ing the bracket for mounting the apparatus shown in iigs. li and 5;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view oi the bracket;

Fig. il is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bracket, talren on the line d-d ci Fig. 7; and l5 Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the male supporting member of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated in Fig. l a railroad hopper i of conventional construction, and .provided with the usual 2u reiniorced pant-ieg hoppers il. Each hopper is provided with sloping end walls d and t and sloping side walls il, and has a generally rectangulai' opening in the bottom thereof, which is normally closed as by a slidable gate i.

Secured to each oi the end walls t at a point centrally thereof, as by welding or halting thereto, is a supporting bracket l, the detailed construction oi which is shown in Figs. 6, 'i and u. Each brochet consists oi a plate t, and spaced i.. 3u danges 9 extending from the innen tace oi the plate, these iianges iorining a 'i' shaped slot or recess tu. The inner surfaces il of those portions oi the flanges which are spaced from the plate t are inclined with respect to the inner surface of the-plate, so that the cross-section oi the slot ill is oi gradually diminishing width from top to bottom oi the bracket. The hanges 9 are reiniorced by ineans oi web portions l2 of the bracket, and the plates are suitably aper- .My tured as at i3 for the reception oi bolts I4, whereby the brackets may be removably secured to the i hoppa rs.

Supporting brackets similar to those secured to the end walls :i are also provided for the end walls l, but are preferably secured to such walls at a level considerably lower than the point of securement of the brackets ior the Walls 3. Since hoppers, oi this type, are usually recessed as at C (see Fig. ti) in their lower portion, it is necesa sary, in order to secure the brackets centrally of the walls t, to provide a supporting member for the bracket, which member spans the recess C. In this case, such supporting member is in the form of a channel i5, which is secured at its ends,

as by Welding or bolting, to the wall I, the web of the channel providing a supporting surface for the bracket 'I, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

the extent that they are provided with a casting IT, provided with a tenon I8 of T shaped crosssection, corresponding generally; with the shape of the slot I in the bracket. The cross-member I9 of the tenori has rear walls 20 which are inclined relatively to the front wall ZI of the crossmember, thereby providing spaced wedgelike members which wedgingly engage the walls of the slot I0 in the bracket.

'I'he use of the apparatus will be readily understood from the following procedural description:

If the hopper car is equipped with brackets 1, electromagnetic vibrators of the type described are mounted on the brackets when the car arrives at its destination or point of unloading. The gates 6 are then opened, and the hoppers permitted to discharge their contents. In the meantime the vibrators are energized by a suitable current supply, and, due to the fact that they vibrate about 1800 times per minute and impart such vibrations directly to the hopper walls, will quickly clear the hoppers of any material which would, in the absence of the vibrators, tend to adhere to the hopper walls or accumulate in pockets or corners of the hoppers. Due to the wedge-like engagement of the cross-member I9 of the tenons I 8 with the brackets 'I, the vibrators, instead of becoming dislodged from the brackets as a result of the vibrations, will actually tend to become more tightly wedged thereto. 'I'he castings I1, in fact, become so tightly wedged in the brackets,

as to bar removal by ordinary means, and when it is desired to remove the vibrators, this must be done while they are energized, so that the vibrations will assist in their removal.

If the hopper car is not equipped with brackets, such brackets are secured to the hoppers when the car arrives at its destination.

A particular advantage resulting from the use of vibrators which are readily mountable and demountable is that it is unnecessary to carry the vibrators on the train. If the vibrators are carried on the train or mounted on the cars while in transit, they are not in use, and their usefulness is thus limited to only such periods when the cars are being unloaded. On the other hand, by having the vibrators readily mountable and demountable, a supply of vibrators may be carried at each unloading station, and such vibrators used more or less continuously, as the occasion for such use arises.

Further, the element of dead weight is eliminated, and the chances for stealing the vibrators from the cars are reduced.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by the following claim or its equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

In combination with a railroad hopper car having a hopper with integral inclined side and end wall portions, the lower portion of the walls of which are recessed and thereby provide spaced inclined portions of the same wall, a supporting member extending across said recess and secured to said spaced inclined wall portions, a bracket removably secured to said supporting member centrally of said wall portions and having a recess therein, and a vibrator for vibrating said wall portions, said vibrator having thereon a tenon removably engaging in said recess to secure the vibrator to the hopper wall.

THOMAS L. BOLDMAN. 

